Score: Elmira College 7, Stevens Institute of Technology 5
Records: Elmira (9-10, 6-5 Empire 8), Stevens (14-15-1, 6-5 Empire 8)
Location: Dobbelaar Field at De Baun Athletic Complex - Hoboken, New Jersey

HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Home runs from Dylan Bellinger '17 and Justin Iannotto '20, as well as a spectacular performance by Andy Reed '19 out of the bullpen, lifted the Elmira College baseball team to a 7-5 come-from-behind victory over Stevens Institute of Technology Saturday evening in Hoboken, New Jersey.

With the triumph in the series finale, the Soaring Eagles clinched the season series against the Ducks, two-games-to-one. It marks the first time in the program's three-year history that the Purple and Gold have taken the series against Stevens, and it is the second Empire 8 Conference series that EC has won this season.

Elmira took an early lead in the top of the first inning, as Bellinger and Nate Hanner '18 doubled in back-to-back at-bats to pull ahead 2-0. Following a Stevens run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first, Iannotto extended EC's advantage back to two runs, 3-1, when he crushed a the first pitch he saw from Ducks starter Quinn DiPasquale over the wall in right center for the second homer of his rookie season.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Ducks drove in one run in the home half of the second, two in the third, and one more in the fourth to turn a two-run deficit into a 5-3 lead of their own. An RBI double off the bat of Zeph Walters in the third leveled the score at 3-all and Stevens grabbed the lead two batters later on a Donny Gherardi single. The hosts then chased EC starter Nick Sampogna '18 from the mound after Harrison Kaye led off the frame with a base hit. Kaye would go on to steal second, advance to third on a grounder and a Michael Mule' groundout.

The Soaring Eagles regained the lead for good with a three-spot in the fifth. After leading off with a walk, Iannotto scored on an errant throw by the Stevens catcher, who tried to throw out his counterpart at third after fielding a wild pitch. Two at-bats later, Bellinger plated the go-ahead runs with a two-run jack, which vaulted EC into a 6-5 lead and promptly ended DiPasquale's night toeing the rubber.

Rookies Jansen Crossley '20 and Iannotto tacked on an insurance run in the sixth inning. Crossley, a first-year second baseman from Vancouver, British Columbia, opened the inning with an infield single, swiped second with two outs, and scored on a base knock from his classmate.

Reed came on to replace Sampogna in the fourth and earned the win with 6.0 shutout stellar innings of relief. The second-year southpaw from Fairport, New York, surrendered just two hits and one base on balls, and set down the Stevens side in order in the final three innings. Not known as a strikeout pitcher, Reed received some much-needed help from his teammates on defense, particularly at the hot corner. In the fifth, Hanner hauled in a liner off the bat of Patrick Hood threw out Walters before he could retreat to first base. In the bottom of the ninth, Joey Florio '20 showed off his vertical leap, as he stole a hit from Mule' on a sharp line drive.

Turning Point
Although Reed was flawless down the stretch en route to the victory, the Ducks were able to advance runners into scoring position in both the fifth and sixth innings. Walters led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, but was wiped away on the aforementioned double play turned by Hanner. It proved to be a crucial out, as Gherardi followed with a two-bagger that would have likely knotted the game at 6-all had Walters been on base. With Elmira leading 7-5 in the sixth, Reed issued a free pass to Kaye. The speedy Stevens infielder stole second, but was stranded on third when Reed fanned power-hitting first baseman Alex Detweiler – his only strikeout of the game – to end the inning.

In Their Own Words...
Head Coach Corey Paluga on defeating Stevens for the second time to secure the Empire 8 series...
"It's a big accomplishment for the program, but it's more important for our goal of qualifying for the conference tournament this season."

Coach Paluga when asked about Andy Reed's effort out of the bullpen...
"He was very effective in his role and got the job done. He did a great job of forcing contact and allowing the defense to make plays for him."

Coach Paluga on Justin Iannotto's progression in his freshman season...
"He's stepped up when his team has needed him. He's seeing the ball well at the plate and making big contributions for the team."

Coach Paluga on using the momentum from the weekend moving forward...
"The most important game is the next game. That's Tuesday, and our focus is on continuing to do the little things well."

Inside the Box Score

• Elmira scored seven runs on 11 hits and did not commit an error.
• Stevens scored five runs on nine hits with one defensive miscue.
• EC slugged two doubles and two home runs, while the Ducks finished with three doubles.
• Five different Soaring Eagles had two hits.
• Bellinger was 2-for-5 with a homer, double, two RBIs and two runs scored.
• Iannotto went 2-for-3 with a dinger, two RBIs and two runs.
• Tommy Fogarty '20 was also 2-for-3 with two runs while batting lead-off.
• Crossley had two hits and one stolen base.
• Reed was victorious on the mound with 6.0 scoreless innings and one strikeout.
• Three Ducks ended the game with multiple hits, including Detweiler (2-for-5) and Walters (2-for-3).
• DiPasquale took the loss after giving up six runs in 4.1 innings, but managed to strike out a game-high seven before his exit.

News and Notes

• Elmira is 9-10 overall on the season and 6-5 against Empire 8 competition.
• After going 0-6 vs. Stevens in 2015 and 2016, the Soaring Eagles won the 2017 series, 2-1.
• It is the second conference series the Purple and Gold have won this season, with the other coming against Utica (2-0 with one game remaining vs. the Pioneers).
• Bellinger homered for the 10th time in his career, while Iannotto hit the second long ball of his freshman season.
• Iannotto joins Bellinger as just the second Soaring Eagle to hit multiple homers in his debut season.
• Iannotto has hit a home run in both of his starts this season.
• Although Conor Bawiec '18 finished without a hit on Saturday, he extended his on-base streak to a team-long 12 consecutive games with a walk.
• Reed tied Bawiec for the team lead in wins with his third of the season.

Up next
Elmira will hit the road on Tuesday, April 18, for a non-conference contest against Alfred State. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.